During their conversation with the girl, the group learned her name and also exchanged information with her.
"Is that so... No wonder there have been so many people from the Armorless Union these past two days." Sona frowned.
"The Black Knight, how could such a big shot live in the lower district?"
"Isn't it here?"
Gregor was puzzled, Sona said helplessly:
"I think I know why. Those guys don't treat the Infected as human beings at all, so they choose to fight here."
"Even if Sector Zero is damaged, those who are injured or killed are mostly Infected."
Upon hearing this, Gregor recalled Jian's selfless act of saving people and instinctively offered a defense.
"The Black Knight shouldn't be that kind of person."
Sona pouted and muttered something under her breath.
"Another one brainwashed by Commercial Union..."
Gregor observed the reaction; the other party seemed quite resistant to Commercial Union.
"Tsk... Anyway, you won't find the person you're looking for in Sector Zero. Just stay put and wait for the Armorless Union to leave, then I'll send you out."
The group fell silent, and after a while, Sona stopped.
"Just so you know, there are going to be a lot of Infected coming up. If you mind, you can wait here."
The others shook their heads, Sona's expression softened slightly.
Come in.
Upon entering the passage and opening the iron gate, Gregor instinctively reached out and pulled Ifrit backward.
Just a few steps ahead, beneath the fence, lay a vast abyss.
"Be careful, this is the connection point of the moving blocks. If you fall, no one will save you."
Sona walked down the stairs, while Gregor looked around at his surroundings with increasing confusion.
This is the underground section of the Mobile City, surrounded by massive steel beams, and shrouded in darkness.
If one were to slip and fall down the surrounding corridors, there would be no chance of survival.
Is this really a residential area?
The atmosphere was silent as the group followed them downstairs.
As they ventured deeper, they heard lively sounds all around them.
Finally, they reached a platform and looked to both sides.
Huge pipes in the steel walls served as rooms, and thin people peered down curiously.
The black crystals on their bodies were proof of their identity.
Infected.
"Sona, you're back. Who are they?"
Several Infected approached and looked at Gregor, while Sona vaguely ignored them.
"It's alright, they're just seeking refuge and will leave soon."
The group was still somewhat suspicious upon seeing this, but they left out of respect for the girl.
"I didn't expect you to be so respected here."
Centaurea carefully observed Sona; the girl's thin figure didn't seem like she could fight at all.
"That's because Sister Sona is always helping everyone!"
The little girl from Kuranta rushed out from the side and hugged Sona's tail.
Sona stiffened, but instead of shaking him off, she reached out and ruffled Kuranta's hair.
"Okay, Lily, let go of me, I'm covered in dust."
"But Sister Sona hasn't come back for so long! Everyone is very worried about you!"
"Just going out to check the situation."
Sona's voice softened, and more and more Infected residents gathered around her.
"Sona, they..."
"Those who were accidentally caught up in this should take shelter here for now," Sona explained succinctly. "The Armorless Union is clearing the area up above; they can't get out."
The Infected looked at Gregor and his companions with a hint of shared suffering.
Upon learning that they were also being pursued by the Armorless Union, the hostility in the eyes of the Infected around them greatly diminished, replaced by deep empathy.
In this sunless underground, any visitor from the surface could be a disaster.
Being "victims" naturally brought them closer together.
Soon, their attention was focused more on Ifrit.
"This child..." the haggard-looking woman said softly, her eyes filled with pity.
"Did you escape with you too? Poor thing, having to go through all this at such a young age."
She reached out, seemingly wanting to pat Ifrit's head, but seeing the other's clean clothes, she hesitated and withdrew her hand.
Little Lily, however, had fewer reservations. She boldly took Ifrit's hand, looked up at Sona, and said:
"Sister Sona, can I take her to our secret base? There are pretty stones we found there!"
Sona instinctively wanted to stop them, after all, they were all Infected, and it didn't seem appropriate to let the other person join in.
Seeing Sona's concerns, Gregor explained:
"It's okay, Ifrit is also Infected."
Sona abruptly turned to look at Ifrit, her expression shifting rapidly from wariness to shock, then settling into sorrow.
It's happening again... even such a young child...
The Infected around fell silent for a moment, then a suppressed sigh and whispers rose up.
Lily gripped Ifrit's hand even tighter and whispered:
"Don't be afraid, there are many people here. Sister Sona will protect us."
"I'm not afraid! I have a boss!"
Ifrit pointed at Greg in rebuttal, Lily immediately puffed out her chest and said:
"I have one too! And my dad's armor is even better than your boss's!"
"Boss looks great!"
"My dad is handsome!"
Just as the two were arguing, the tall, thin Infected man squeezed in and whispered quickly to Sona:
"Sona, we've run out of starch. The children... I'm afraid they'll only have thin soup for dinner tonight."
"I understand." Sona's voice was a little hoarse.
"I'll figure something out..."
"Sona, don't go on those adventures again! Last time you almost..."
We can't always rely on you alone!
The Infected offered their advice in a cacophony of words, their worry evident in their expressions.
Gregor watched this scene in silence, then turned and walked into the shadows in the corner, his figure blurring for a moment.
The next moment, he stepped out again, carrying a heavy package in his hands.
Gregor walked up to Sona and handed her the package.
"Take it."
Sona hesitated before taking it; it felt heavy in her hand.
She untied a corner of the oilcloth, revealing a large piece of bright red, still slightly frosty, animal meat underneath.
"Meat?! It's meat!"
"My God... so much!"
Exclamations rose and fell; all the Infected witnessed this scene stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
In this underground world, fresh food, especially meat, is a luxury more precious than Originium.
Sona suddenly looked up at Gregor, her eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty:
"Where did you come from...?"
Her first thought was that the other party was prepared, Gregor shook his head and interrupted:
"For the child."
Sona swallowed her words.
She glanced down at the fresh meat in her arms—enough to feed all the children—and finally just nodded solemnly before handing it to the man who had brought the message.
"Take it and get it ready. Cook it quickly and give it to the children and those who are weak first."
"Okay!"
"Eat it as soon as possible," Gregor added, "It won't keep for long."
The others looked at Gregor with some odd expressions, but still responded:
"Clear!"
Many people wanted to step forward to express their gratitude, but were somewhat reserved, and in the end just kept nodding and thanking them in hushed tones.
"Thanks."
Sona thanked him generously, Gregor nodded slightly, handing Sona a package.
Seeing Sona's questioning gaze, Gregor explained.
You are a child too.
Ignoring the stunned girl, his gaze swept over the steel platform built on the edge of the abyss once more, looking at the thin figures by the dangerous fence and the firelight shining from the pipe "houses".
"The situation of those Infected is worse than I imagined."
This time, Sona didn't retort. Instead, she followed Gregor's gaze and offered him optimistic comfort.
"Yes, it's terrible."
"But compared to the Infected wander the wilderness, constantly fearing Catastrophe or being swallowed by swarms of Originium Slug..."
"At least we have a place to shelter from the wind and rain, and family members who are willing to support each other."
"Our home is a bit chaotic, but we can still survive."
Gregor listened in silence.
Centaurea witnessed all of this. It seems the new boss is not only ridiculously powerful, but also has a surprisingly high moral standard?
At least have compassion for the weak and children...
She thought to herself, "This is actually a good thing. The higher one's moral compass, the more forgiving one should be of oneself, right?"
Safety factor +1!
Just then, Ifrit ran back with Lily and several other children:
"Hey boss! Can I borrow Ten Percent Off to play for a while? Lily and the others haven't seen any cartoons!"
Without hesitation, Gregor handed the Ten Percent Off to Ifrit.
"Thank you, boss!"
Ifrit cheered Ten Percent Off skillfully began playing "Tom and Jerry".
The comical background music and exaggerated visuals and actions instantly attracted the attention of all the children, and even many adults couldn't help but gather around out of curiosity.
Soon, the open space around the Ten Percent Off fold was completely surrounded by people.
The children burst into joyful laughter and exclamations.
"Oh my god! That Feline (referring to Tom) has been smashed into a piece of paper! Can it ever come back to life?"
"Are you stupid? This is definitely fake! There's no such thing as Feline!"
"But it's so funny..."
Sona leaned against the cold Iron Wall, looking at the children's smiling faces, and her tightly pursed lips unconsciously softened a little.
However, this fragile tranquility did not last long.
"Bang—crash!!!"
A violent explosion, mixed with the terrifying noise of metal structures tearing apart.
Sona's expression changed drastically, and everyone panicked, scrambling to hide in the pipes. The once lively scene instantly became quiet.
Before the aftershocks had even subsided, Sona had already shot off like an arrow, with several strong Infected close behind.
"You stay here."
A calm electronic voice sounded, Gregor's tall figure blocked the entrance to the passage.
"Get out of the way!" Sona cried anxiously. "We have to get those guys out of here!"
She tried to slip away, but Gregor reached out and pressed her head down, giving it a hard rub.
What are you doing!
"You stay here," the electronic voice repeated, leaving no room for argument.
"This has nothing to do with you! Your sister is still alive..." Sona argued.
Ifrit obediently ran over. Gregor reached out and touched her, and the girl vanished instantly.
Sona's eyes widened, but before she could even cry out, Gregor lifted her up and gently placed her back in the middle of the crowd.
"You, stay here."
The third announcement, though the electronic voice remained calm, instilled a strange sense of oppression in everyone.
Gregor turned and walked toward the direction from which the explosion had come.
"Boss, what about me?" Centaurea pointed to herself, somewhat embarrassed.
Gregor didn't say anything, he just waved his hand behind him.
"Understood! I'll stay here to protect everyone!" Centaurea felt as if she had been granted a pardon.
Sona watched Gregor disappear at the end of the passage, her face filled with resentment.
"What's this...?"
She turned to Centaurea:
"Who exactly is that guy? Campaign Knight?"
"Didn't you watch the live broadcast?" Centaurea realized.
"Oh right, you can't see him here. He's a recent favorite in the Knights' Tournament, the Black Iron Knight."
"Knightly duel?!" Sona's pupils constricted, and she turned to give chase.
"Nonsense! How can a mere exhibition match compare to a real battle..."
With lightning speed, Centaurea grabbed her by the back of her collar and pulled her back.
Sona's face darkened, Centaurea quickly put it down before the other party could erupt in anger:
"Cough! Don't worry, the boss is very strong."
"How strong can he be? Could he possibly...?"
Boom--!!!
A much more intense tremor than before followed, and the entire steel structure groaned in agony!
"What happened?!" Sona exclaimed.
On the other side, inside the broken passage.
"A knight? No, more like Infected?"
Assassin No. 2 of the Armorless Union aimed his crossbow at the black knight approaching from below.
"You're unlucky to have come out at this time," Number One spat.
"Too bad, the Originium Bomb didn't kill the Black Knight," another person muttered.
"Stop talking nonsense! The target's fate is still uncertain!" Number Three shouted.
"Leave this place."
A calm electronic voice sounded, startling the Assassin.
"Did I hear that right?" Number Two looked at his companion.
His colleague's crossbow bolts were already pointed at the knight:
"You heard right, this Infected is courting death."
"Leave this place..."
Gregor repeated,
No one will get hurt.
Call out--!
His response was a cold arrow, which pierced his armor but was stopped by vines.
Gregor raised his hand, pulled out the arrow, and held it in his palm.
"I said, get away..."
The terrifyingly high temperature instantly melted it into a stream of molten red iron, which dripped to the ground with a hissing sound.
A hand reached back, and a continuously expanding fireball filled with molten lava was formed and born in the palm.
The intense light illuminated half of his armor, and also the pupils of the Assassin, which were instantly seized by terror.
The exploding fireball shot out and landed in the center of the crowd.
Are you deaf!?
"Boom--!!!!"